Needle bed for knitting machines



Nov. 1, 1938.

R. H. LAWSON El AL NEEDLE BED FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Fen. 9,1937

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2 Sheets-Sheet l w I JPMERTHM Y v Iii 115ml. fax/2Z2 Nov. 1, 1938.

NEEDLE BED FOR KNI TTING MACHINES auL AwsoN-rr A1. 2,135,137

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Patented Nov. 1 1938 I I 2,135,187

' UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE Robert H. Lawson and William L. Smith, Jr., Pawtucket, R. 1., assignors to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. 1., a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 9, ,1937, Serial No. 124,844

12 Claims. (01. 66-115) The invention is concerned with a new conalso for cooperating sinkers, and is constructed struction for needle beds in independent needle in accordance with precision methods, there is no knitting machines and more particularly with particular difliculty experienced in aligning sinkbeds of built-up construction wherein hardened ers between needles such as has been experienced 5 inserts are used for needle supporting guiding in constructions where needle walls have been 5 walls, these inserts being of novel construction. formed from inserts designed for guiding nee- In the figures of drawings: dles only and sinkers have been guided within Fig. 1 is a section showing the invention apslots cut in a stitch ring. It will be obvious that plied to a cylinder, 9, sinker, needle and jack in this'latter method considerable difilculty must being shown in their respective positions; v be experienced in aligning the'sinkervslots ex- 19 Fig. 2 is a section of the cylinder-within which actly between the needle slots, especially about the inserts are to be placed, also showing the a large-diameter machine having agreat number fabric ring and the method and means by which of fine gauge instrumentalities therein. it is attached; r The invention herein disclosed has application Fig.3 shows a sinker in detail and the man to all circular knitting machines employing nee- 15 ner in which it isgui'cled by the supporting exdies and sinkers, but is especially useful with tensions on the inserts; types of machines wherein the sinkers move not Fig. 4 is a plan of .a fragment of the sinker only in a radial. pathway for casting off stitches, assembly, greatly enlarged; but also in a vertical direction for'the purpose 20 Fig. 5 is a corresponding, enlarged view taken o par p ing in the Stitch drawing mOVement 20 on a seetionthrough the sinkers and showin h w itself. Such sinkers are difilcult to align and are they are guided; and diflicult to maintain in perfect alignment, but

Figs. 6 and '7 are elevations showing One 01' the obviously must be centered between their respecinserts in detail. tive needles and. must move in a single plane In some knitting machines, especially so-called between those needles in order to avoid the knit- 5 body machines of large diameter, it is common ti g of different sized or uneven loop uc as practice to construct the needle bed or cylinder' would lead to vertical streaks in the fabric.

I assembly by inserting a plurality of hardened Now referring to the figures of drawings, a cylstrips in an annular cylinder element, the strips inder shell is shown at I maintained by con- 0 serving as needle walls. In such constructions necting bolts 2 on a support or driving element the annular cylinder within which the strips are 3 and having, attached at its upper end a fabric inserted may be of unhardened metal, or in this guiding ring 4 employed for guiding the fabric particular instance, more preferably of metal over the top of the cylinder as it is cast off the hardened to a degree to resist wear. In previous needles, and has the fu t er fu ct on of mainconstructions the inserts have been used to supmining e upp r nds of the d d nserts 35 port needles and/or jacks only; the present inrigidly in position. This ring is maintained at a vention provides inserts which serve effectively proper distance above the top of the shell I by to support needles, jacks and also the inner ends means of spacers 5 and atta Screws The of sinkers. Afabric ring is employed which takes annular shell has a plurality of tricks or slots the place of the usual stitch ring in so far as I cut vertically thereof and spaced apart the it has the function of guiding the fabric over the proper distance to receive the hardened inserts top of the cylinder and down through the openor strips 8. These: strips 8, shown in detail in ing therein, but said ring does not play any Figs. 6 and '7, consist of an elongated needle and part in the guiding of the sinkers themselves. jack guiding portion and an offset sinker guiding With the construction of this case it is possible part 9 which is offset an amount equal to one- 45 to build up a cylinder of very simple -construchalf the distance between adjacent strips or intion and one which may be manufactured at a serts. Each strip has a projecting lug in which substantial saving incost. The needles, jacks and is'received within a recess II in the cylinder and sinkers each move within hardened walls and at the upper end thereof, is provided with apair are permanently guided in a manner to allow less of nibs I2 within which needle and jack retain- 50 r deviation from the intended path than would ing springs are to be held in proper vertical pobe possible with other types of cylinder construcsition. Just above these nibs a projection l3 tion. The strips used herein are very rigidly serves to support the sinker carrying ring l4 maintained in place and since each strip conclamped in position by a clamping member l5 56 stitutes a guiding wall for needles and jacks and and a series of bolts I6. The outer ends of sinkers are guided within slots cut in said sinker supporting ring ll. The widened sinker guiding part of the strip 3. has a projection l1 between which and the elongated needle guiding part is formed a recess I3 which fits over a correspondingly dimensioned part of the cylinder shell is which is also grooved or slotted to provide slight projections 20 to embrace either side of the strip at the upper end of the recess Hi. It is to be observed that the offset between parts 8 and 9 of the strips occurs at 2| so that the slots cut at the top of the projection l9 will fall between the vertical slots I cut in the outside of the cylinder shell. The upper ends of these sinker guiding parts of the strips are also retained in proper alignment and are rigidly positioned as they are held between corresponding slots 22 cut in the ring 4.

As the cylinder is built up, each strip is inserted in .the proper slots 1, 20 and 22 as the recess I8 is pushed down over the projection IS, the lower end of the strip at this time being slightly outward away from the cylinder until the lug ill registers with slot H whereupon the lower end of the said strips may be pushed in to the full depth of slot I. Retaining rings or flanges may be used to restrain the lower ends of the strips and to prevent displacement of them, or morepreferably, each strip is provided 1 with a downwardly inclined extension 23 and the lower parts of the walls 24 may be peened over to lock each strip in position.

- A particular difiiculty experienced on fine gauge machines of this type is that the slots cut in the stitch ring could not be cut to a dimension small enough for guiding the sinker which is considerably thinner than a cooperating needle,

. than a reasonable amount of working clearance. With the present construction no limitations are imposed as to the size of sinker slots since they are not cut but are provided by either side of the sinker guiding portions 9 of the hardened strips. These sinker guiding portions are to be corrugated or raised as shown more clearly in the enlarged views 4 and 5 so as to present a proper amount of space therebetween to limit the movement of sinkers to one which would be necessary for proper working but not to allow any excess such as would result in the knitting of streaky fabric. For different gauges of machines these corrugationsmay be correspondingly varied in size.

Other ways of thickening this sinker guiding extension may be apparent, such as by turning the edge over and rolling to proper thickness, attaching a separate piece of proper thickness, swaging or by any other suitable means.

In the particular example of the invention illustrated needles 25 are to draw stitches in oooperation with sinker 26 these sinkers being movable radially as is the common practice for holding down the fabric and for casting ofi 'completed loops. In addition the sinkers are each movable in a vertical direction by being rocked from a-fulcrum 21, this vertical movement being imparted by means of suitable cams functioning on jacks 23. Each jack has nibs 29 and 30 which embrace a projection 3| "below the stitch forming part of the sinker to convey vertical movements of the jack to the inner end of the sinker. Preferably, selecting jacks are to be used beneath the needles, these jacks not being shown since they form no particular part of the present invention. The stitch forming edge 32 and the nib 33 of the sinker are rolled to a dimension much thinner than the remaining parts of that sinker, this rolling being along a diagonal line as shown in Fig. 3, so that the projection 3| and a portion of the sinker not rolled at 35 are always bearing within the sinker guiding extension 9. Thus the sinker is maintained in vertical alignment and any rocking of the same is prevented due to the substantial bearing provided over an extended part of the guiding element. The corrugations are flattened at their outer or. bearing surfaces and the space between corrugations is much less than the width of the supported portions 3| and 35 of the sinker so that the sinker moves within its support without interference.

The needles 25 are guided between corresponding strips 8 up to a position at about the offset 2|, thereafter the offset parts of the strips 9 serve to support the backs of needles up to an extremely high position as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.v

As the fabric is cast from the needles it passes oven the noses of the sinkers up on to ring 4 which is slightly higher than the elevation at which the fabric is cast from the needles so that the weight of the fabric is carried by said ring and the upper inclined ends of the strips and is not carried on sinkers, thus allowing freedom and ease of movement to those sinkers as they (participate in measuring and drawing loops.

Lint cannot accumulate at any part of the assembly since the sinker noses will push it through between extensions 9 whereupon it may easily fall through the extremely large openin beneath ring 4 and between spacers 5.

The invention has been described in more or less specific terms and with reference to one illustrative embodiment of the same, but this is not to be interpreted as a limitation since the principles of the invention may be applied to many machines for knitting varied types of work. The advantages which are apparent in machines wherein sinkers move in conjunction with needles to draw stitches are also apparent with machines wherein sinkers move radially only, although perhaps not to such a marked degree. The invention is not to be limited except'by the scope;

within said slots, said strips being constructed for guiding needles and having an offsetextension at their upper ends for guiding sinkers, the said extension being of a different thickness from the thickness of the strip at sections wherein it func- I tions to guide needles. I

3. A built-up needle bed for knitting machines including in-combination a cylinder shell, a ring spaced from and attached above said shell, slots cut vertically of said shell, and other slots cut horizontally at the top of said shell and aligning with a series of slots cut in said ring, said horizontally disposed slots and slots in said ring being spaced intermediate those out vertically of the shell, and hardened needle and sinker guiding strips inserted within the said vertical slots and having offset extensions at their upper ends to be A needle bed for knitting machines having in I combination a cylinder shell, slots out within said shell and hardened strips inserted within said slots, said strips having ofiset extensions projecting upwardly therefrom to serve as guiding elements between which sinkers are to pass and a ring attached to and spaced from the upper end of said shell, said ring having spaced slots therein for fixing the position of the upper ends of. said strips.

5..A needle bed for knitting machines having in combination a cylinder shell, slots out within said shell and hardened strips inserted within said slots, said strips serving to guide needles and having ofiset extensions projecting at theif upper ends and above the top of said shell, said extensions beingcorru'gated at areas where the inner ends of sinkers are to be guided so as to present thickened sections whereby said sinkers may be inserted within a narrower space than provided for said needles.

6. A strip for insertion in needle beds including an elongated needle guiding portion and an ofisetextension for guiding sinkers.

A strip for insertion in-a needle cylinder of the built-up type including an elongated needle guiding portion, an offset extension at the upper end thereof for guiding sinkers, said sinker guid-.

ing portion being corrugated to present a thickness greater than that of the said needle guiding portion.

8. A hardened strip for insertion in built-up needle cylinders including an elongated needle guiding portion, an extension for guiding sinkers,

said extension being. offset with respect to said .7 g needle guiding portion, and positioning means on said strip for locating it within a cylinder shell.

9. A hardened strip for insertion in built-up needle cylinders including an elongated needle guiding portion and an offset extension at one end thereof for guiding sinkers, said sinker guiding portion being preformed to a thickness greater than'that of the said needle guiding portion, and positioning means for accurately loeating said strip with respect to a cylinder shell.

10. A strip forinsertion in needle beds of builtup type including an elongated needle guiding portion and an offset extension for guiding sinkers, said extension being of different, thickness from that of'the said elongated, needle guiding portion. i v

whereby needles maybe guided by one part of said strips and cooperating sinkers by the offset,

- projecting parts thereof.

\ 12. A needle bed for knitting machines having in combination a shell and hardened strips inserted therein adapted to guide needles and sinkers spaced intermediate the needles, said strips havingelongated needle guiding portionsand oil'- set sinker guiding portions, the construction being such that the offset sinker guiding portions are of different thickness from the needle guiding portions and serve in addition to guiding sinkers as a means for supporting the backs of needles at those positions wherein the shell does not support them; x

- ROBERT H. LAWSON.

WILLIAM L. SMITH, JR. 

